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Years ago at a fancy butcher shop, I noticed a cut of meat that was new to me. Piled high in the brightly lit case, was a stack of triangular-shaped mounds of beef, known as trip-tip fillets, tri-tip roasts, or beef triangles. They “sit” at the bottom of the sirloin, weigh 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 pounds, and are about two inches thick. Flavorful, but lean, they are best eaten rare so that the juices trickle down your chin. I created a recipe for Bon Appetit using this cut and was reminded of it this weekend. On our way to see the spectacular Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, we walked through the retail spaces level with the ice skating rink. New to us was a fast/casual restaurant called Tri-Tip Grill, featuring none other than this heretofore obscure hunk of meat. It seems that this cut is very popular in California and newer to East coast folks. The restaurant, too, had its origins in California and has only recently attracted attention in New York.

Whereas a tri-tip fillet will never satisfy in the same way that a game-y aged rib-eye or velvety filet mignon might, it is a great cut to use for the holidays: fulfilling the promise of abundance without the financial burden. Why not buy a pair of tri-tips and invite a few neighbors for a holiday dinner this week? Serve the juicy rare steak slices with a sweet potato puree flecked with fresh ginger and a hint of freshly-squeezed tangerine juice. Then stir-fry a wok-ful of sugar snap peas tossed with tiny cubes of bacon and radish — cut the same size so that they “mimic” each other. All will come together in a harmonious triptych of flavors textures, and color. A tri-tip triptych! Not easy to say three-times quickly.

A trickle of “hot” Chinese mustard will light up your taste buds. If you don’t want to make your own, now’s a good time to gather all those little takeout packets lurking in your fridge.